Dear Maintenance Men:
Dear Maintenance Men:
I own and manage a 9-unit apartment building and each
unit has its own water heater. My tenant called about not getting hot water.
I checked and found the pilot was off. I re-lit the pilot and after a few
attempts, it stayed on and the water heater fired up. But the heater had
the same problem a day or two later. We repeated the procedure, but the
heater died again. I've checked all around the heater, no condensation, no
rusting pipe, but I could hear gurgling noises coming from within the heater.
I guess they could be sediments sitting at the bottom? Now, what can I do
to fix this problem, so that it doesn't happen again?
Worried,
Sim
Dear Sim:
The water heater’s thermocouple may need to be replaced. That is the copper
tube coming from the thermostat and going to the pilot flame. The thermocouple
is a safety item that will detect a loss of flame and it will then turn off the
gas to the burner. Chances are the thermocouple is not operating properly and it
is going into a fail-safe mode and turning off the gas.
It is an easy repair. The thermocouple can be found at any hardware store
for under $5. To replace the
thermocouple, unscrew the copper tube from the thermostat and remove
the other end from the pilot flame area. Reverse this procedure for the
installation.
The bubbling noise you heard inside the tank as it is heating is caused by a
calcium build-up at the bottom of the tank. Small 30 or 40-gallon tanks
typically do not have a clean-out port. This is a sign that the tank is
nearing the end of its useful life. You should start thinking about replacing it
in the near future.
Dear Maintenance Men:
I am an apartment owner and a member of the apartment
association in my area. Currently, I’m looking for a handyman or contractor to
do work at my building. How could I
go about finding pre-screened trade people?
Also, what sort of background checks should I do before allowing a
workman on my property? I’m concerned about my residents’ safety and my
property liability.
Dana
Dear Dana:
This is a very good question. Many of us just take for granted that the people working at
our buildings are exactly who they say they are and have our best interests at
heart. And most do.
But you want to do your due diligence to protect yourself and your
residents. The best place to
start your search for any trades people is in your apartment association
magazine. And now to make
your dues more than pay for themselves, call your association and ask their
opinion. Chances are they will know
the good from the bad.
Typical information you may want to request from a potential trade person or company:
California
contractors license
Proof of
liability insurance
Reference list
with phone numbers
Address of
several recent jobs
List of trade
associations to which they belong
A legitimate trades person or company would not be afraid
to show you any of the above information.
The apartment industry is a small world and we all live or die on our
reputations. So ask as many
questions you like, and if you don’t like the answers, use a different vendor.
Dear Maintenance Men:
I own a vintage apartment building in a trendy part of
town. I want to gussy up the units by adding crown molding around the ceiling
edges. I purchased a compound
miter saw and a book on how to do it.
In my zeal to master the installation of crown molding, I have managed to
cut a 12-foot piece of expensive molding into very small useless pieces.
I am about to pull out what is left of my hair.
The book says it is easy, but my head is about to explode. Please Help!
Pepe
Dear Pepe:
We know what you mean, anyone who has installed crown
molding, knows the frustration. But it need not be! Crown molding truly is easy, yes, I said easy.
Throw the book away, it only serves to show how smart the author is, but
it is of no help to you and me. First
things first. For an inside corner,
cut two 12-inch pieces of molding to use as a sample.
Place that sample up on the wall and ceiling for a visual. Now bring that sample to your saw and lay it to the left of
the blade, against the vertical fence or backstop.
Position the sample exactly in the same orientation or position as it was
on the wall/ceiling. (The sample piece will not be flat against the fence, it
will stick out just like it does on the wall.) Now position your saw blade in the 45-degree position
and left of the center mark. Cut the right side of your sample piece and
label it Right Hand Corner Inside.
Now take the second piece of sample molding you cut and
position it exactly like the first piece, but to right side of the blade.
Put your blade in the 45-degree position, but this time it will be
to the right of the center mark. Cut
and label this piece Left Hand Corner Inside.
Test your samples in a corner.
For outside right hand corners set the blade at the 45-degree
position and right of the center mark. Position the sample to the
left of the blade. Cut and label Right
Hand Corner Outside.
For an outside left-hand corner, set the blade at the 45-degree
position and left of the center mark. Position the sample to the
right of the blade. After the cut,
label the sample Left Hand Corner Outside.
The hard part is done, you now have sample cuts to refer
to. After measuring the wall, place
your measurements on the bottom backside of the molding, the mark will be easier
to see on the backside when cutting. Cut
a little long at first, then trim with the saw until the molding fits.
And don’t forget to repeat to yourself
… “caulking is my friend!”.
If the corner is not quite perfect, don’t worry, caulk the corners, and
the mistakes disappear. Also caulk
the top and bottom rails of the molding and it will look like an expert did the
installation. Good
Luck.
If you have
a maintenance question, please feel free to e-mail or call our office.
Maintenance@JLE1.com
or 714 778-0480.
Bio:
Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo
Maintenance and is a licensed contractor & real estate broker.
He is currently on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Education
Committee for the Apartment Association of Orange County. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional
since 1988 and can be reached at (714) 778-0480 or jerry@JLE1.com. Frank Alvarez is the Operations Director for Buffalo
Maintenance. He has been involved with apartment maintenance for over 14 years.
Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway
in Anaheim, CA 92805. Please view our web site at: WWW.JLE1.COM